Museum of the Southwest acquires adjacent property

Megan Lea

Published 2:15 pm, Tuesday, July 9, 2013

The Museum of the Southwest has purchased an adjacent nearly half-acre lot with a house located behind the Fredda Turner Durham Children's Museum. The museum closed on the property at 1700 Holloway Ave. on June 27 after museum Director Brian Wisenhunt and board president Jaime Alexander spearheaded a fundraising effort for the down payment.

"When the board of trustees voted to move forward with the acquisition, it was with the caveat that we raise the 20 percent down payment and secure financing for the remaining amount. Within 30 hours, the board of governors, board of trustees and other museum patrons had pledged over 25 percent of the purchase price," Alexander said in a press release.

The museum had received pledges for 90 percent of the purchase price by the closing date.

Possible future uses for the property include using it as a location for museum staff offices, allowing the museum to open the second story of the Turner mansion for exhibit space. The property's immediate use will be to provide housing for staff and visiting artists and lecturers. The house will be offered as a rental property for staff and the garage will be converted into a casita for guests. Wisenhunt said he hopes to make the property available to other nonprofits.

The Musuem of the Southwest campus is nearly five acres housing the Juliette and Fred Turner Jr. Memorial Art Gallery, the Fredda Turner Durham Children's Museum, the state-of-the-art Marian Blakemore Planetarium and an outdoor Sculpture Garden. The Holloway house and surrounding property would add nearly a half-acre to the campus.